You hear anecdotes here and there. Maybe you noticed your local marathon sell out earlier than usual. But it’s easy to lose the forest for the trees.
Is this part of a broader trend where marathons are selling out faster than ever? Yes. Yes, it is.
I first noticed this last year with a few anecdotes. I had signed up for the 2022 Philly Marathon in the fall. Last year, the race sold out in July. I ran Twin Cities last year, and people were shocked when it also sold out in July.
Since then, I’ve paid more attention to when popular races have been selling out. I’ve put together a list of the 50 largest races in the United States, and I try to take note of if and when those races sell out. Last August, I published a rundown of that list – based on the largest marathons from 2024 – and found that a) many races were selling out earlier than ever and b) more races were selling out.
So far this year, the trend has continued. There have been some crazy early sellouts. But there have also been some new ones and some slightly sooner ones. Of the 23 races that took place (or will take place) from January to June of 2026, 19 of them have been sold out.
Let me run down how things are changing.
The Sellout Status of Spring 2026 Marathons
Although the most popular time of the year for marathons (in the United States) is the fall, 23 of the 50 largest races from 2025 took place from January through June this year.
Three of these races are perpetually sold out: Boston, Big Sur, and Disney. Boston has more time qualifiers than available spots, forcing a cutoff time. Big Sur is a straight lottery. And Disney might as well be, since it typically sells out in hours.
Of the remaining 23 races, four of then have not or do not appear to sell out: Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego, Austin, Denver Colfax, and REVEL Mt. Charleston.
25 years ago, San Diego had ~15,000 finishers and it was one of the largest races in the country. Although it’s still large, it’s a shell of its former self. REVEL Mt. Charleston has also seen a downturn recently, after the new BAA rules on downhill races. The other two races – Austin and Denver Colfax – have been increasing in popularity, but they didn’t sell out this year.
The other 16 races all sold out. Of those, six sold out significantly sooner than the previous year. Six of them sold out after not selling out in 2025. The other four sold out at a similar time as 2025.
The New Sellout Marathons in 2026
Six races sold out in 2026 after not selling out in 2025: Jersey City, Flying Pig, Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville, Mesa, Oklahoma City, and OC.
I’ll start with the Jersey City Marathon because it’s my local race. I’ve run this race every year since it started (2023, 2024, 2025, 2026). It has gotten bigger and better each year. In 2024 and 2025, their social media advertising kept hinting that it was close to capacity, but it never quite got there. This year, some people were taken by surprise when this April race sold out in early February. It was the first time it sold out, and I know people who missed out on registering because of it.
Flying Pig is a popular race, and it has sold out in the past. It sold out for the first time in 2018, as the previous running boom was tapering off. While it bounced back from COVID, it hadn’t sold out in recent years – and in 2025 they were still advertising registration right up until the end. This year, it sold out on April 30, days before the race. Although it didn’t sell out super early, it did grow from 4,685 to 5,251 finishers this year.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville is another new sellout. The Rock ‘n’ Roll franchise has withered over the last ten or fifteen years, and many races have been discontinued or downgraded to half marathons. But Nashville has continued to grow. This year, the race increased in finisher count from 2,706 to 3,173 – and it sold out about a week before race day (4/21/2026).
The Mesa Marathon also sold out in the final week before the race. This year was the first time in the history of the race that it has sold out – reaching full capacity on February 13, 2026. It’s one of the existing downhill races that isn’t impacted by the BAA’s downhill results index.
The Oklahoma City Marathon hasn’t sold out in the last few years, although I couldn’t definitively figure out whether it ever sold out pre-COVID. But this year, they weren’t playing around. The race is in late April, and the full marathon sold out on March 25 – about a month ahead of time.
Finally, there’s the OC Marathon. The Orange County Marathon is the first weekend of May, and last year the race did not reach full capacity. This year, it sold out on March 13 – about six weeks before race day.
Earlier Sellouts in 2026
Another six races sold out significantly earlier than they did in 2025: Los Angeles, Houston, Eugene, Mountains 2 Beach, Miami, and Grandma’s.
The Los Angeles Marathon is one of the biggest races in the country, with over 20,000 finishers. Just a few years ago, it didn’t sell out at all. Last year, this early March race sold out on February 4, 2025. This year, it sold out a whole month earlier – January 5, 2026.
The Houston Marathon is another large race. It’s also one of the fastest races in the country, typically producing at least a handful of Olympic qualifiers. Last year, this January race sold out on November 15. This year, it sold out more than a month earlier – October 1, 2025. It also increased in size significantly, from 7,553 to 8,852 finishers.
The Eugene Marathon is fast becoming one of the premier races of the spring. It’s a fast course and it has an exciting finish at Hayward Field. Last year, the race sold out in March – about a month ahead of race day. This year, it reached capacity on January 14, two months earlier. The race also increased in size from 3,764 to 4,518. If it gets even bigger next year, it could break into the top 20 races in the country.
The Mountains 2 Beach Marathon has been selling out slightly earlier every year for the last few years. Two years ago, it sold out in April. Last year, the race filled up in March. This year, it reached capacity on February 26. At the same time, it continued to grow – from 1,755 to 2,056 finishers.
The Miami Marathon is a popular Florida race at the end of January. It’s not huge, but it has also been selling out earlier and earlier. The last few years, the sellout date has moved up from October to September to August. This year, registration opened August 1 – and it was sold out by August 11. It’s only a matter of time before it starts selling out as soon as it opens.
Finally, there’s Grandma’s Marathon. This race has also been selling out earlier and earlier, but this year was incredibly early. The 2026 Grandma’s Marathon sold out in about twelve hours. Registration opened up in the evening, and it was sold out the following morning. Organizers anticipated strong demand, and they shifted some bibs from the half marathon to the full. But that did nothing to help slow down the rush.
Races Selling Out the Same
The final four races sold out about the same time as last year: Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Shamrock, and Cowtown.
The Pittsburgh Marathon sold out this year on April 7, 2026. That’s fairly consistent with the last few years, when it has sold out the first week of April. However, what is new is that the number of finishers increased from 3,781 to 5,013. If they don’t increase the number of bibs next year, it’s possible this May race will start selling out in March or earlier.
The Atlanta Marathon sold out this year on February 12. That’s similar to the last few years. What’s noteworthy about Atlanta, though, is that the course was mishandled in 2025. It was changed at the last minute and it wasn’t properly certified by USATF. That controversy didn’t stop people from flocking back to the Atlanta Marathon this year, though.
The Yeungling Shamrock Marathon also sold out at about the same time this year – 3/4/2026 – compared to previous years. At the same time, the race increased in size from 1,957 finishers to 2,421. That’s more than a 20% increase year over year.
Finally, there’s the Cowtown Marathon. In 2025, this late February race sold out on February 1. This year, the race sold out more than a week earlier – January 20. It’s not a huge difference. But it is notable that the race also grew from 1,757 finishers to 2,134. Again, that’s a 20% increase.
Early Sellouts for Late 2026
It’s too early to say for sure how many of the fall and winter races will sell out. Many of them will likely sell out in the next few months, but some may not sell out until October – and some may not sell out at all.
But five races in late 2026 have already sold out. In some cases, they’ve sold out crazy early.
The best example of this: the Detroit International Marathon. This race signaled the beginning of the sellout craze last year. It’s an October race, and it sold out in early March 2025. But this year it sold out on January 7, 2026 – just a week after registration opened.
The Philly Marathon also bumped up way earlier than last year. Only a couple years ago, this race did not sell out at all. Last year, people were surprised that it sold out in July. This year, it reached capacity on April 28. After securing a new title sponsor, the race opened up an additional 3,000 spots this weekend. So registration is open again – but who’s to say for how long.
The California International Marathon is a reliable sell out, and it has always sold out far ahead of it’s December race date. It’s one of the premier races in the country, and it attracts many runners who are looking to run fast – whether that’s a PR, a BQ, or an OTQ. Last year, it sold out on May 8. This year, the race reached capacity on March 5.
A more recent sellout is the St. George Marathon. This race typically met capacity or closed registration in June or July. But this year, the race sold out on April 29. Last year, the race sold out before the BAA’s penalty for downhill races was announced. That didn’t deter people at all from signing up this year.
And finally, there’s the Wineglass Marathon. This October race has been popular and selling out for some time. But last year, it didn’t reach capacity until June 25. This year, it maxed out last week on May 18. That’s earlier than most people would even be starting their training block for the fall.
When Will the Marathon Craze Slow Down?
At this point, it doesn’t seem like things are slowing down any time soon.
Year over year, most races have increased in size. Of the races in the first part of the year, more of them are selling out – and many of them are selling out faster than they have in the past. When you look ahead to the fall, some of those races have already sold out in record time.
Some day, this will inevitably slow down. But there’s no sign that this will happen any day soon. In the meantime, if you plan on running a major race – sign up early.
Have you missed out on registering for a race this year? How has this sellout frenzy impacted your running?